Sometimes a band gets so big that they somehow outshine themselves. They reach a point in their career where it does not matter if they release a new album or not; fans just want to see them tour. No one gave a damn that Led Zeppelin had not released a new album since the 1970’s; everyone just wanted to see them play again at the O2 Arena in 2007. When The Who played the Super Bowl halftime show in 2010 they had only released one new album in 28 years, and no one cared. And no one cares that Guns & Roses aren’t making new music. They still packed arenas to see how much cake Axl had packed into himself.
We’re going to take a dive into a blues power trio from down south who have zero need to release any new music, since their recording career stretches back over five decades. They had amazing and groundbreaking success in the ‘70s, the ‘80s, and the ‘90s before hitting the max level. Instead of playing to win, they now play for fun. Their sexually charged lyrics and videos inspired generations of teens to both dress better and worry about their fly. And you can bet that their fuzzy, bluesy tight sound had a huge impact on our very own desert dwellers.
It’s time for us to take a walk with That Little Ol’ Band from Texas. This week’s featured artist is the legendary ZZ TOP
About Them
The Power Trio is a tested and true format for a rock band. Lots of examples come to mind: Cream. Rush. The Police. Biffy Clyro. King Buffalo. Them Crooked Vultures. (Wait a sec. Just three members? Clearly, not everything is bigger in Texas.)
There is a member joke there somewhere, but I just can’t get it to come. Hmm. Perhaps it will come if you play with it a bit.
Hey! Stop that. Get your mind out of the gutter.
ZZ Top’s original and founding member was William Frederick Gibbons. Born in Houston in 1949, the front man was originally a drummer but, after studying with Tito Puente in New York City, picked up the guitar at age 13. His dad was a musician in show business, which allowed Billy to get an insider’s view of the industry. By the late ‘60s, he had been in and founded a number of bands and had even befriended the late great James Marshall Hendrix. One of his first bands, a psychedelic/art house band called The Moving Sidewalks, toured with the Jimi Hendrix Experience. This meant that Gibbons was actually mentored by Snagglepuss himself. They also toured with The Doors, where Gibbons saw the legendary self-destructive band somehow manage to rise above conflict and make music every night. The Moving Sidewalks generated a following all of its own with a couple of hit songs, and things seemed to be headed in the right direction.
Things were going absolutely great until bassist Don Summers and keyboard player Tom Moore were drafted into the army to fight in Vietnam. Don't you just love the ‘60s?
Gibbons and drummer Dan Mitchell added a new keyboard player, Lanier Greg, and tried to make another run at it. But the chemistry was all wrong. Gibbons rechristened the band as ZZ Top (an homage to BB King), and declared that he wanted more of a straight up rock approach than the art-house kaleidoscopic sound.
Gibbons, Mitchell, and Greg (isn’t it weird when last names are also first names too?) recorded the single Salt Lick in 1969. This generated a bunch of interest and a recording contract. Decisions over the direction of the band ensued and it quickly became clear that Mitchell and Greg did not agree with Gibbons’ hard rock approach. That ended up being a poor life decision for them, but a great one for a couple of other guys.
Clearly, Gibbons needed a new rhythm section.
Fortunately, he found a package deal.
Dusty Hill and Frank Beard - also both born in 1949 - had been playing together on the Dallas-Houston-Fort Worth circuit in a number of bands, including The Warlocks, The Cellar Dwellers, and a fake cover band called The Zombies. Both the Duster and the (then ironically) beardless Beard also heard the siren call of rock and roll. Hill was classically trained and was an accomplished cello player before moving to his signature bass. Frank ‘Rube’ Beard appears to have been born with drumsticks in his hands (which I imagine might have been uncomfortable for his mom).
Beard joined the band first, along with bassist Billy Ethridge, who had played with Stevie Ray Vaughn. Ethridge balked at signing a contract and so joined Mitchell and Greg on the list of ZZ Top’s former members. Their lineup was set. Hill and Beard anchored the band in a rock-solid, tight, bluesy fashion. Gibbons meshed perfectly with this duo, and his Hendrix-inspired guitar work was on another level. Hill provided backing vocals, and Gibbons’ low throaty growl was an impressive counterpoint to his soaring fretwork. The talent was all there; now they just needed to record some music.
But success was not instantaneous, not by a long shot.
Their first album - appropriately called ZZ Top’s First Album - gives insight into who the band were to become. In this 1971 release, you can hear their raw sound. The record peaked at 201 on the charts, and had only one single - (Somebody Else Been) Shaking Your Tree. It did give them material to go out and tour. The boys gelled on that tour and went back into the studio with renewed energy, and emerged with 1972’s Rio Grande Mud. The disc was a step forward in refining their sound. The album almost cracked the top 100, and the only single - Francine - went all the way to number 69.
Nice.
But the band knew that their third album, Tres Hombres, was something special. It is the epitome of Southern Rock: bluesy, fast paced, sexy, and irreverent, it is just over half an hour of pure magic. And while the album went gold and peaked at number 8 on the charts and is worth your time, it was one particular single that rocketed them to stardom. You know it and you love it, and a-how-how-how-how: La Grange. It is still in heavy rotation on classic rock stations today. And why not? The song is an absolute banger of boogie woogie blues, written about a visit to a whorehouse. What’s not to love?
La Grange propelled them to popularity. Tours sold out. Venues got bigger and bigger. 1975’s follow up album, Fandango!, was half live album (with some covers) and half new material - like an EP with bonus tracks. They covered the Elvis Presley classic Jailhouse Rock, Willie Dixon’s Mellow Down Easy, and John Lee Hooker’s Long Distance Boogie. The boys had rock and blues chops, and had 5 years of touring experience. These were bold statements that cemented their musicality as well as honoring their roots. But side two of the disc had another track that you’ve come to love. You ain’t asking for much: You’re just lookin’ for some Tush. Tush was the perfect sexually charged follow up to ensure that they were not one-hit wonders. It was written in a ten-minute spasm of creativity at a sound check, and has gone on to be one of their most popular songs.
While Tush topped the charts, ZZ Top went back into the studio to record their full length follow up, 1976’s Tejas. The name of the album means ‘friends’ in the Indigenous Caddo language, and was the basis for the name of the state. You know what that means? It means that the name of the state is ‘Friends’. Just like the ‘90s sitcom. Don’t mess with Friends. Anyways, this was an album of experimentation for the band, and unlike its predecessor it came out half baked at best. Billy Gibbons has called it a transition album. What actually happened is the band transitioned into a hiatus from touring and recording, taking some significant time off. They had recorded five albums in six years and spent virtually all their time on the road. The latest effort was just not up to their standards and was a step back. It also completed their recording contract.
What was the solution to this burn out?
Facial hair of course.
The boys took a few years off before landing another recording contract, this time with Warner. Over those months, both Gibbons and Hill grew what would become their signature long ‘Texas Goatee’ beards. Frank Beard did not grow a beard (though he did finally succumb to peer pressure from his bandmates in 2013, and his is much more neatly trimmed). So while they were resting/relaxing/getting their groove back/aligning their chakras or whatever, they also started to reinvent their signature sound as the world moved towards a decade of legendary excess.
The first step on this reinvention journey was 1979’s Degüello. The title literally means ‘decapitation’ but idiomatically refers to a fight to the death. Clearly, the band decided to tackle their transition head on. The album was not as successful as Tres Hombres or Fandango!, but it was not the flop that Tejas was. It did spawn a couple of singles - I Thank You (which was a cover) and the signature hit Cheap Sunglasses. Both are staples at ZZ Top concerts to this day. Degüello was quickly followed up in 1981 by the album El Loco. This was really the first time ZZ Top incorporated a synthesizer into their sound. As you know, the synth was THE new wave sound of the 1980s. Gods help us, keytars were once popular. But Gibbons, Hill, and Beard did not abandon their edge. The single Pearl Necklace was an immensely popular innuendo laced tune from this album. And no, I will not explain what a pearl necklace is to you.
Ask your mom.
Over the course of their first seven albums, ZZ Top had steadily grown in popularity and become a truly extraordinary live band. More than a decade of touring together meant that they had not just cut their teeth. They had found the Tooth Fairy, beaten her senseless, and added fangs to their jaws. They were ready to tackle whatever came their way.
Their huge breakthrough coincided with the birth of music videos and MTV. 1983’s Eliminator was an absolute monster of an album. ZZ Top were everywhere. They completely embraced the Music Video as a medium and became pioneers in this new genre. They branded their band with a 1933 fire-engine red Ford Coupe, which was on the cover of the album. They even had a signature hand gesture that they used as the car went by. The car belonged to Billy Gibbons and embodied his hot rod obsessions. It was featured in the videos for Gimme All Your Lovin’, Sharp Dressed Man, and Legs. Other singles from the album included Got me Under Pressure and TV Dinners. Eliminator is still the band’s most successful album. They were at the absolute height of their popularity with a massive audience. No doubt the 10-year-old Joshua Michael Homme watched those videos on a small screen in the California desert, little knowing that he would one day collaborate with Gibbons.
Seeking to capitalize on the popularity, the band went back into the studio and released Afterburner in 1985. It featured the signature hot rod on the cover and spawned two more singles - Sleeping Bag and Velcro Fly. Afterburner was not an innovative album by any stretch of the imagination. It simply built on the success of Eliminator and replicated the sound. If you blended the two albums together it would be very difficult for a novice fan to guess which song came from which disc. But hell, when you release the most popular album of your career and are earning millions of dollars for that sound, it is not time to mess with success. Or with Texas. Or with Friends (though Ross was a pain in the ass, IMHO).
That desire to not screw up a good thing was also evident in their next release, the retrospective re-release Six Pack. This was a great way to earn some bucks with a simple repackaging of existing tracks - I’m looking at you, K-Tel… - and introducing them to another generation of fans. This was not a bad thing at all - you gotta get that green whenever you can, because fame can be fleeting.
ZZ Top closed out the decade by going Back to the Future. Literally. They appeared in the third installment of the Michael J. Fox trilogy as the olde-timey house band (complete with rotating guitars) in the saloon scene. The single and signature song from the movie, Doubleback, appeared on their 1990 release Recycler. The album spawned two more singles: My Head’s in Mississippi and Concrete and Steel. Recycler was not as successful as its predecessors, but it did effectively max level the band. In the 1970’s they were a scuffling bar band that hit it big. In the 1980’s they were one of the most popular bands of the MTV generation. And in the 1990’s they achieved superstardom. They had hit the level where it truly no longer mattered if they ever released new material again. They could simply tour on their back catalogue alone and sell out stadiums.
It is clear that the band realized this as well. In the thirty years since Recycler came out, they have released five albums of new material: Antenna in 1994, Rhythmeen in 1996, XXX in 1999, Mescalero in 2003 and the critically acclaimed and Rick Rubin produced La Futura in 2012. This was equivalent to their output in their first six years.
In contrast, they have released no less than eight greatest hits albums, cover albums and live albums in the same time span. Greatest Hits came out in 1992. One Foot in the Blues was released in 1994. The massive compilation Chrome, Smoke & BBQ came out in 2003, and is a fantastic place to start if you are a new fan. Rancho Texicano was released in 2004, Live from Texas came out in 2008, and Double Down Live hit shelves in 2009. Live at Montreaux came out in 2013 and Tonite at Midnight: Live Greatest Hits from Around the World was released in 2016.
As recently as 2019, there were rumors that a new album was in the works for our Septuagenarian heroes. Lord knows the boys from Texas have nothing left to prove to anyone.
It was then that tragedy struck. Dusty Hill had to leave the band during a tour in 2021. The reason given was a hip injury. His guitar tech, Elwood Francis, filled in. Shockingly, Hill died at home at the age of 72 just five days after leaving the tour.
Fans were shocked and mourned the stalwart bassist. Per his wishes - and it seems he knew something wasn’t quite right - ZZ Top did not break up. Francis replaced Hill on bass, and the band soldiered on. In 2022, they released Raw, a soundtrack for a 2019 documentary about them. This was Hill’s final release.
You can still catch them on tour. They are going to be out there this summer, touring with Lynyrd Skynyrd, for something they are calling ‘The Sharp Dressed Simple Man’ Tour.
Go buy some tickets. Don’t miss your chance to see a truly iconic band before they are gone.
Links to QOTSA
The Reverend Billy F. Gibbons was a big part of the Lullabies to Paralyze album by our Desert Dwellers. He played guitar and provided backing vocals on Burn the Witch. He was co-lead vocalist and lead guitar on the QotSA cover of Precious and Grace, which he originally released as a ZZ Top tune on the Tres Hombres album. He also provided the guitar stylings for Like a Drug.
But the connections don't stop there. Billy sang the lead vocal track on the recent Desert Sessions tune Move Together, and he played guitar on Noses in Roses, Forever.
What may be most important to QotSA fans is that Gibbons was the first person, almost two years ago, who hinted that Queens were working on a new album.
And now we know he was right. Never doubt a Reverend.
Their Music
Salt Lick
(Somebody Else Been) Shaking your Tree
Francine
La Grange -- Live on Howard Stern
Jailhouse Rock
Tush -- a fan made video. It is not subtle.
Cheap Sunglasses
Pearl Necklace -- Live
Gimme All Your Lovin’
Sharp Dressed Man
Legs -- the ultimate makeover video
Got Me Under Pressure -- Live at Montreaux
Sleeping Bag -- Let’s go out to Egypt and check out some heads...
Velcro Fly -- also somehow in Egypt
My Head’s In Mississippi
Concrete and Steel -- vintage video
Doubleback
I Gotsta Get Paid -- from La Futura
Show Them Some Love
/zztop
Previous Posts
Tool
Alice in Chains
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Rage Against The Machine
Soundgarden
Run the Jewels
Royal Blood
Arctic Monkeys
Ty Segall
Eagles of Death Metal
Them Crooked Vultures
Led Zeppelin
Greta Van Fleet
Ten Commandos
Screaming Trees
Sound City Players
Iggy Pop
Mastodon
The Strokes
Radiohead
All Them Witches

It seems it's that time of year again, where the durability of Mortarion is at the center of heated discussions, and comparisons between him and similar models are made. In case you missed it, almost exactly three years ago I made a very similar post to this one about the durability of deathguard:
https://www.reddit.com/WarhammerCompetitive/comments/ky0wbh/mortarion_is_now_twice_as_durable/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Since there seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding how durable Mortarion is (and some are even claiming The Lion is more durable, is that really true?) I've returned to shed some light using the power of simulations. The numbers in this post were obtained by simulating die-rolls, 1 million times for each scenario described. They might deviate slightly from the theoretical values, but only very slightly. If you find anything that doesn't seem correct please notify me so I can check if I've made an error.
I've decided to focus solely on comparing Mortarion with Lion El'Jonson, by checking how durable they are Vs a variety of weapons. I've assumed both models are the Oath of Moment target, and that The Lion has his 4+++ against mortals. If you would like me to test an additional statline just put it in a comment below and I'll respond as soon as I can. The results in graph form can be found by following the link below:
https://imgur.com/gallery/QItkFfK
We start off with 2 Heavy Laser Destroyers. On average Mortarion takes more damage since the Lion is harder to wound, but as Morty has 60% more wounds he's still harder to kill with only 11.4% chance to die, compared with 32% for The Lion.
Next up, 2 Rupture Cannons, cause if the last big weapon didn't do it, surely this will. Sadly, without OoM it actually performs worse against both targets. The important takeaway however is that it wounds both targets on a 3+, despite the -1 to wound, so Morty is comparatively even tankier.
For fun I included the the Thundercoil Harpoons, since both models are Monsters, and spoilers, this is the closest we get to the Lion being as durable as Morty, with a 40% Vs 34% risk of dying.
Neither Melta nor Lascannons pose much of a threat to Morty, while the Lion hovers around 40-50% risk of dying. At this point we've only looked at anti-tank weapons, but anti-infantry creates an even bigger disparity. 100 bolter shots has a 50% to kill The Lion, while Morty sits at a comfortable 0.08%.
There's also been some discussion about the damage output of certain Epic Heros, so I've also included Abbadon as well as Morty and Lion himself. The same trend we saw with the previous weapons continues, and Morty wins out every single time.
There's a lot of focus on The Lions 3++, but Mortarions 5+ FNP perfectly balances that out, since a successful wound will deal 1/3 damage to the Lion on average, and 1/2•2/3=1/3 damage to Morty.
So in conclusion it seems that overall Morty is more durable, but does that mean The Lion is actually worse? No. In all my math hammering I cannot in any way account for obscuring or Lone Operative. If you can't get close to The Lion without dying, or can't kill his bodyguards, you are still in big trouble. And if you can't hide Morty, he'll slowly but surely whither. Therefore I won't even try to predict which is better in an actual game, but hopefully this post has given you a new perspective when it comes to these centerpieces.

Lottery Website for Workouts and Tools - Lets Make Billion
All State - PICK 4 List Performance for 2023-06-01
Numbers:('0000','0001','0004','0006','0008','0011','0014','0015','0016','0018','0019','0024','0028','0033','0037','0044','0046','0048','0055','0066','0068','0069','0078','0088','0111','0114','0116','0118','0123','0127','0136','0144','0145','0146','0148','0159','0166','0168','0177','0188','0222','0226','0235','0244','0249','0258','0267','0334','0339','0348','0357','0366','0444','0446','0447','0448','0456','0466','0468','0488','0555','0666','0668','0688','0888','1111','1113','1114','1116','1117','1118','1122','1126','1135','1144','1146','1148','1149','1158','1166','1167','1168','1188','1225','1234','1239','1248','1257','1266','1333','1338','1347','1356','1444','1446','1448','1455','1466','1468','1488','1666','1668','1688','1888','2224','2229','2233','2238','2247','2256','2337','2346','2355','2445','3336','3345','3444','4444','4446','4448','4466','4468','4488','4666','4668','4688','4888','6666','6668','6688','6888','8888')

State	Draw Date	Draw Time	Winning Number	BOX Number	VTRAC Number
CT	2023-06-01	Midday	0140	0014	1125
GA	2023-06-01	Midday	0818	0188	1244
IA	2023-06-01	Evening	0086	0068	1124
ID	2023-06-01	Evening	6080	0068	1124
ID	2023-06-01	Midday	2503	0235	1134
IN	2023-06-01	Midday	4840	0448	1455
KY	2023-06-01	Evening	9411	1149	2255
ME	2023-06-01	Evening	6648	4668	2245
MI	2023-06-01	Midday	6202	0226	1233
NH	2023-06-01	Evening	6648	4668	2245
NJ	2023-06-01	Evening	4182	1248	2345
OH	2023-06-01	Midday	4884	4488	4455
ONT	2023-06-01	Evening	0416	0146	1225
RI	2023-06-01	Midday	4804	0448	1455
SC	2023-06-01	Midday	0744	0447	1355
VT	2023-06-01	Evening	6648	4668	2245
WV	2023-06-01	Evening	5010	0015	1112

Congrats all Winners and Followers.

Lottery Website for Workouts and Tools - Lets Make Billion
All State - PICK 3 List Performance for 2023-06-01
Numbers:('000','001','004','006','008','011','014','015','016','018','019','024','028','033','037','044','046','048','055','066','068','069','078','088','111','114','116','118','123','127','136','144','145','146','148','159','166','168','177','188','222','226','235','244','249','258','267','334','339','348','357','366','444','446','447','448','456','466','468','488','555','666','668','688','888')

State	Draw Date	Draw Time	Winning Number	BOX Number	VTRAC Number
AR	2023-06-01	Evening	040	004	115
CA	2023-06-01	Midday	456	456	125
DE	2023-06-01	Midday	870	078	134
FL	2023-06-01	Evening	564	456	125
FL	2023-06-01	Midday	415	145	125
IA	2023-06-01	Evening	402	024	135
IA	2023-06-01	Midday	357	357	134
ID	2023-06-01	Midday	661	166	222
IN	2023-06-01	Midday	668	668	224
MD	2023-06-01	Evening	086	068	124
ME	2023-06-01	Midday	762	267	233
MO	2023-06-01	Midday	735	357	134
NH	2023-06-01	Midday	762	267	233
NM	2023-06-01	Evening	244	244	355
OH	2023-06-01	Evening	208	028	134
PA	2023-06-01	Evening	402	024	135
PR	2023-06-01	Midday	402	024	135
PR	2023-06-01	Evening	616	166	222
QCAN	2023-06-01	Evening	609	069	125
SC	2023-06-01	Midday	402	024	135
TN	2023-06-01	Evening	910	019	125
TN	2023-06-01	Morning	091	019	125
TX	2023-06-01	Midday	100	001	112
VT	2023-06-01	Midday	762	267	233
WI	2023-06-01	Midday	663	366	224

Congrats all Winners and Followers.

First time posting on here so appologies for structuring or lack of context, will do my best to clarify here and if not then in the comments.
Made an attempt at a TLDR at the bottom.
So yeah this is a hard one to explain because I understand where she's coming from but at the same time feel so hurt that I'm unsure how to properly process this.
Her justification is that she doesn't know who she is or what she wants, she has been doing everything for everyone all her life and doesn't feel like she has ever had a chance to create a sense of self, do things without needing to consider anyone else before her. She did everything for her mum, went into her first relationship, as soon as that ended very badly we met and she jumped straight into our relationship then afterwards our relationship has been mostly about survival and us working out of the financial hole we built together. That's the summary pretty much.
Now for context why what she's saying makes some sense.
We've been together for 4 years, we've lived together for just over 3 of those years (due to her going to university for 1 year). Started off super strong, within first few weeks of dating we made things official and blew up like a firework, honeymoon phase was the most amazing high of my life. Our sex life has always been great.
During first year we had lots of ups and down, specifically during the first half of the year having her ex constantly reaching out to her to make amends (he was emotionally abusive af). We had fights over this as it took allot for her to block him then eventually after he kept using different numbers to contact her I told her to sort it out and she called him and had some closure( from that point onwards their interaction ended).
During the 2nd half of the year she was In university, I would visit her every few weeks and stayed for a while as well but her mental health became really bad and During a Suisquid scare I told her she could move in with me in my apartment i shared with a roomate until she decided what she wanted (she was very emotionally dependant on me for that part of our history), this was during covid lockdown by the way.
This was an informal move as the agency I rented from didn't know about this and this ended up causing her allot of stress as she felt like she didn't belong and her position was at risk.
Now we lived there for the next year and in all honesty from my perspective things weren't bad, she didn't work for over 6 months and I made enough to get us by quite well so she could slowly find her way and we had lots of happy memories with a not many fights and if we did fights it was about me gaming too much or being a little lazy after work etc.
This got to a point where she didn't feel safe enough anymore and wanted to move out after the agency found out her staying there. So during the end of the 2nd year I found a studio for us to move into and we moved in, bought some furniture and in all honesty things seemed to start going well.
The studio was allot more expensive (London prices) and I started to struggle to keep us afloat which caused me to go into significant debt.
At the point our fights started to escalate, it would always be about me doing something wrong that slighted her in some way or how she started feeling bad about herself putting us in that position and if I didn't make her feel better in that moment she would run the narrative of me being emotionally neglectful and say it would be better both if us for her to leave.(I always thought this was self destructive af as she would always blame herself for everything during tense situations, she the type of girl to say sorry non stop when she's self loathing). I dont want to paint her negatively as I was also to blame for these escalations, I grew up with constant struggle in my life so emotionally I am very compact and self sustained, if she told me she was OK I thought she was OK and didn't pursue further. That didn't go to well as she still needed me to feel better when she was saying she was OK.
There were many of these fights and it got so bad that she ended up packing a backpack and going out where I had to chase her and convince her to come back for her own safety and that I cared and loved her and that whatever she felt we could work through together (she would go out and just stay out on a bench somewhere on the middle of the night in a not so safe part of london).
Allot of this was around me doing everything for us and her not being able to do or even have the confidence to do anything herself. As I said before due to trauma and a harsh childhood I made sure to at least have everything sorted, bills paid on time, food on our tables, ease of living, chance to experience good memories for dates even on financial pressure, my goal was to always make the best out of life. If anything she felt like I was bringing everything to the relationship and she wasn't bringing enough so it would eat at her. (She rejected me buying her presents on her birthday or just randomly when I was trying to be romantic which blew up into another argument because she couldn't do anything in "return of equal value" her words)
Now through ups and downs we kept at it although it was quite dysfunctional at times she found a good job and things finally started to seem like they were going to finally start moving forward and started saving to move out of London.
Due to financial constraints and saving requiring allot for cars, new house, new furniture etc (something she planned) we couldn't go on any dates often (we struggled to save during the cost of living crisis with bills skyrocketing so we weren't able to have much saved, which caused her to fall into a mild depression) and then and all we really did was schedule things around her family and their events (she has a large family and every few weeks there would be a birthday or family celebration where we would go out and spend the weekend leisurely enjoying ourselves)
For context I only have my sibling and mother and don't have any contact with my family abroad. Even then my relationship with my mother is strained at times due to conflict from childhood that spanned into adulthood, I also don't really have friends bar from my gaming friends who I talk to online at times so social life wise I didnt really have one but being introverted I never found that an issue.
Now she likes her family but can't stand her mother at times and that stresses her out really badly as theyre complete opposites when it comes to personality and dealing with things so when she gets heated she doesn't back down until she breaks down or wins the argument. Very stubborn but bar from the extremes I liked that about her.
I feel like im starting to ramble, there is so much context to this that its really hard to keep things structured.
Anyways things have been up and down, ive been doing my best all this time to give her the best environment for her to get back on her feet but today she says it's better for us to "RESET" as she needs this but doesn't want to hurt anyone, that includes her mother. I'm a little blindsided.
This is getting a little much for me so I'm gonna end it here but will do my best to clarify if anyone needs more context in the comments.
Thank you.
[TLDR: My gf of 4 years has decided to RESET on her life and drop all her relationships so she can find a sense of self, I dont know how to handle this]

Has anyone taken a 'mini retirement' partway through your career?
I'm thinking of people who made the choice to take time off in their 30s or 40s to live dirt cheaply and pursue non-career-related goals - e.g. extended wwoofers, renovating a house in Europe, re-training full-time in a brand new industry, or to meet a crazy fitness goal - etc. Not someone taking extended gap years straight out of college or someone out of the workforce because of prison, babies, winning the lottery and/or being forcibly unemployed for a long time.
How did you find it, do you think it was worth it, and would you do it again? Did you go back into your 'old' career? If so, could you easily go back or did employers look down on the choice? Did it change your perspective on what you wanted to do?

SOURCE
Looking for the right time to jump into the Splatoon™ 3 game? Well, the new Sizzle Season is upon us—and it’s bringing a few new additions to spice up the online* battlefield.
Sizzle Season includes:

• 2 newly added battle stages (Barnacle & Dime and Humpback Pump Track)
  
• 1 new Salmon Run stage (Jammin’ Salmon Junction)
  
• 11 newly added weapon sets (including 2 new main weapons: S-BLAST ’92 and Painbrush)
  
• New Challenge mode
  
• A new seasonal catalog
  
• New music
  
• New and returning stuff in the shops
  

This content is part of a free update. Your game may have automatically updated, but you can double check on your Nintendo Switch™ system by highlighting the game’s icon on the HOME Menu, pressing the + Button, and selecting Software Update (internet connection required).
Wait, what’s this new Challenge mode? Sharp eye, squiddo! Challenge is a newly added mode that adds a twist to team battles. You can jump in solo or bring along friends.
Each Challenge is a limited-time event that adds special rules or limitations to spice up Turf War or Anarchy Battles. You may notice fog rolling in, or maybe everyone has a jumping boost—there could even be an absurd amount of Trizookas out there! (For maximum chaos, you see.)
Like other modes, Challenge uses your performance in battle to help pair you with players of a similar skill level—this time, calculating a nifty number known as your Challenge Power. This number will go up or down with each win or loss.
Not to worry—the standard Turf War and Anarchy Battle modes will still be available alongside these Challenges. Your performance in Challenges won’t affect your Rank Points in the standard Anarchy Battle mode, either.
If you win five battles within a Challenge, you’ll earn yourself a Shell-Out Token as a little bonus. May the Shell-Out Machine in the Lobby bless you with fun stuff!
Kicking things off is the New Season Challenge, celebrating the start of Sizzle Season. There will be three play windows:

• June 2 (9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. PT)
  
• June 3 (5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. PT)
  
• June 3 (1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. PT)
  

Good luck out there, Inklings and Octolings.

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I know Nikola Jokic is a lock but I’m curious if Aaron Gordon or Jamal would have theirs retired also?

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Throughout the series, we’ve been treated to a lot of great matches, and lots of key moments from the Karasuno players. Today I ask, what do you view as the best and worst performances from each of the starters over the course of the series?
Here’s my list, with a disclaimer that picking the worst for some of these guys was pretty hard. It’s not too often the manga has a player being actively bad, and usually when they do they end up making one hell of a comeback and being key to the Karasuno victory. So some of the picks for worst are admittedly less that they played bad, and more that they had a poor stretch, or that they were below their usual standards in the match. Anyway, without further ado, let’s proceed,
Hinata
Best Game: Kamomedai
I think this is one that clearly goes without saying. Hinata was absolutely on fire in this game, playing like a kid possessed and just constantly upping the ante against what was easily the best blocking team he had ever faced. It was almost poetic, really. When we started with him, he wondered what it looked like behind the wall of blockers. And in this game, they couldn’t do a thing against him.
Worst Game: Nekoma
This is an interesting pick, because this was Hinata’s first game having a really solid grasp of receiving (to the point where it won them a set), and it’s where he first started to get the hang of his “Dun” jump, which was key to the win over Nekoma. That being said, that jump came near the end of the second set, and it was something that he needed Kageyama’s four set in order to accomplish. Before then, while he wasn’t playing bad, and had still got some nice kills, he wasn’t nearly as effective as he usually was, with Nekoma’s strategy doing an absolutely number to slow him down
Kageyama
Best Game: Inarizaki
It was acknowledged within the manga that Kageyama was on one during this game. Be it his serving, his setting, his blocking, he was constantly able to rise to the task. Be it his running under the net to still set the ball, his block against Aran, or his long set towards Tanaka + his service ace to force a deuce, Kageyama was the best player Karasuno had that day, and evolved constantly within the game to begin reaching his full potential.
I will say I also considered Nekoma here, just because I really liked the way he managed to free Hinata from the shackles that Nekoma’s gameplay had put him in.
Worst Game: Seijoh 1
Not much needs ti be said here, really. For the entire first set he was in his own head which pit Karasuno in a hole, and though he did great after he came back from being subbed out, it was still clear he had a long way to go before he could truly become the King of the Court.
Tsukishima
Best Game: Shiratorizawa
It shouldn’t go without much surprise that this is Tsukishima’s best game, as it was this game that got him hooked on volleyball. Tsukishima stayed consistently on top of his game with his blocking and funneling, working in tandem with Nishinoya to make things much harder for Ushijima and the rest of Shiratorizawa. He was no slouch on offense either, with his delayed spike and his bluffed slide attack providing very key points for the team in clutch moments. Though his final plan against Ushijima didn’t work, it was still an excellent display of his analytical mind.
Worst Game: Wakutani
Honestly, I don’t think Tsukishima necessarily played bad either. However, Nakashima was simply a mad matchup for him, with his ability to tool blocks. This wasn’t the first time Tsukishima would face hitters who blatantly countered his blocking, but with Suna and Hoshiumi, Tsukishima was able to at least utilize larger strategies to neutralize them even a little.
Tanaka
Best Game: Inarizaki
Tanaka had a rough start to this game. Inarizaki were doing a great job blocking him, and his precision line and cut shots were still a work in progress. To make matters worse, he hit a bad mental block that only built up as he continued to struggle offensively. However, he got himself out of it, nailing an insane angle on a cut shot to win them the first set. Later on, down 24-22 in the third set, he was trusted to make the kill, and he did so while going the complete opposite way, saving his team with a sharp line shot. Tanaka came out of this match a much better player than before, clearly showing why he was Karasuno’s next ace
Worst Game: Date Tech 2
Full honesty? It was hard to pick a worst match for Tanaka. He was targeted early in the first Seijoh, but got himself out of it quickly enough and was back to his normal self before long so the damage was minimal. Instead, I had to just kind of raise my hands and point to the Date Tech match. it wasn’t even that he was bad, but with the focus on Asahi and Hinata, Tanaka was mostly left to the side and wasn’t as present. This is easily my weakest pick though, so I won’t fault anyone for completely disagreeing.
Nishinoya
Best Game: Shiratorizawa
Similar to Tsukishima, this should go without saying. Faced with the best ace in Japan, Nishinoya made constant digs that almost no one else could. Not only that, but they were fantastic passes too, allowing Karasuno’s offense to still shine. Furthermore, his strong mentality meant that even as Karasuno came out weak in the first set, he was able to inject them with enough energy to keep them going, slowly building momentum towards a win.
Worst Game: Inarizaki
Inarizaki marks the only time Nishinoya was outright picked on. His weakness in overhands was exploited to its limit by Atsumu, and was something that troubled the team for all three sets. He gave up constant service aces, and made poor bumps that compromised Karasuno’s ability to control the fistfight. He was eventually able to work himself out of it thanks to Kinoshita’s help, but the damage that was done got very close to being too much.
Asahi
Best Game: Kamomedai
Similar to Tanaka, Asahi had a rough early go against Kamomedai. They were like a superior version of Date Tech, the team that gave him absolute fits the previous year and almost broke him completely. He was in danger of falling into the same hole in this game but, backed by his team, he came out stronger than ever, breaking down the forest and opening the way for Karasuno to begin picking apart Kamomedai’s blocking.
Worst Game: Date Tech 1
Admittedly a cop out answer given this game wasn’t shown in full, but Asahi was pretty great in every full match we saw, which is fitting for an ace. So instead we point to the game where we’re explicitly told he was shut down, and even quit the club for a while.
Daichi
Best Game: Inarizaki
I actually had Johzenji initially when I was typing this up. He proved to be a backbone for Kageyama and Hinata, preventing them from getting swept up in Johzenji’s rhythm and saving them from a few mistakes. He proved his role as captain there. But he does that again in Inarizaki, and contributes even more so with his scoring. In addition to being the solid foundation, he shows here how he embraces the team’s philosophy of scoring, which was noticed by Kita. Always a steady rock for Karasuno, Daichi went above and beyond in this game, showing that he too is just as capable at scoring.
Worst Game: Kamomedai
Similar to Tanaka, it’s hard to pick a bad game for Daichi because one of his main strengths is just how consistent and fundamental he is. While he isn’t a fantastic player able to control everything, his digs have saved Karasuno constant times to the point they took it for granted, as evidenced by the Wakutani match. So I choose the Kamomedai match solely on the concept that Daichi wasn’t as much of an offensive threat as he usually was. It’s still a pretty good game from him, though.